The Pogues - "A Pair of Brown Eyes"
(Single Release: 1985)
It doesn't really add up on paper. The idea of mixing traditional Celtic folk with a punk rock aesthetic seems to be an impossible task, but then there was the Pogues. Shane McGowan's whiskey-soaked brogue drew me in, making me believe that Celtic punk was a viable genre. 1985 saw the release of the band's sophomore album, Rum, Sodomy, and the Lash, its title inspired by a quote from Winston Churchill, and produced by Elvis Costello. "A Pair of Brown Eyes" was the big single from the album, if reaching #71 in the UK equals big single. That's not to disparage the song, as chart positions aren't a barometer for my personal enjoyment. Rather, I love all the tracks from this album, and I particularly like this Orwellian video as directed by Alex Cox. There is something comforting about traditional song structures. This song's melody and chord progression reminds me of Wilco's rendition of Woody Guthrie's "Remember the Mountain Bed." But, despite the lean toward the traditional, in the world of pop music, this was unique. How many bands had accordions, tin whistles, fiddles, banjos, and uillean pipes?
One man's writings, thoughts, and appreciations of all things cultural.
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